Bottle-tray.



- E. COURT.

BOTTLE TRAY.

APPLIUATION FILED Nov. 6, 1911 Patented A131123, 1912.

z SHEETS-SHEET 1.l

ehhh.

E. COURT.

BOTTLE TRAY.

. APPLIOATIN FILED NOV. 6, 1911. 1,023,925., Patented A131223', 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

(l/manga@ UNITED STATES r'niiiiivr onnion.

EDWARD COURT, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO MARTIN J.

FISCHBACH, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

norms-TRAY.

Specication of Letters vPatent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Application led November 6, 19l1. Serial No. 658,742.

I zen of the United States, and resident of- Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in Bottle- Trays; and I do hereby declare that the following is a f ull, clear, and eX'act descripf tion thereof. My invention refers to bottle-cleaning apparatus, its general object being to provide an illuminated dumping tray for the recep-l tion of a series of bottles preparato-ry to their delivery into the racks of a soaker or Washing machine, whereby the bottles are' interposed between the vision ofthe operator and the light thereunder to thus render the said bottles transparent for inspection in order that any' insoluble matter contained therein may be detected, in which case the bottle or bottles containing such matter are culled and the full quota of the tray completed by substituting others:

Specific objects of my invention are to provide a hollow box-like tray having a transversely tlutedtop, the indentures of which are apertured to form bottle seats; to provide a series of illuminating lamps within the hollow tray under the convened surfaces of the tinted top whereby said lamps in the form of electric bulbs are protected; to provide-trunnion suspension means for the tray in juxtaposition to a bottle washing machine with which said tray coperates, and to provide automatic tinie-controlled means for tilting the tray after the series of bottles are inspected, whereby they are discharged into the washer bottle racks incidental to the same being successively brought into alinement wit-h said hollow bottle tray.

With the above and other minor objects in view the invention consists in what is herein shown, described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure l represents a sectional plan view of a bottle-tray embodying ,.jtheieatures of my invention attached to a standard washing machine, with parts broken away to more clearly show certain structural features, the section being indie cated by line 1 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 a detailed longitudinal sectional view of the tray, the section being indicated by line 2 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a cross-section of the same as indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4, an end. view of said tray showing the trunnion suspension means for the tray in connection with a washer, and Fig. 5, a general sectional elevation of a portion of a washing machine having attached thereto a hollow tray embodying-the features of my invention, the view illustrating, automatic means in connection with the washing inachine for tilting said tray.

Referring .by characters to the dra'wings, 1 indicates a boxlike tray body having an open side that with a hinged gate 2,. whereby access maybe had thereto, the -gate being closed by a thumb-nut 3 that is in threaded engagement with an aperture formed in a longitudinally disposed angle-iron rail 4, which rail is securedV to the end Vwalls l of the tray body and constitutes an abutment bottle-re st. The body portion l of the tray is closed by .a transversely luted topplate 5 which is secured to inturned flanges of the vertical, tray walls and is provided with slotted apertures 15 that extend from an intermediate point to the lower edge of the top, which apertures are-located within the '.concavities of the liuted plate, said concavities in conjunction with the apertures forming seats for the bottles. arrangement of fluted top it will be apparent that when a number of bottles corresponding to the capacity of the tray are laid thereon they can be quickly distributed so as to automatically seat wit-hin the bottle rests and when'so seated, form closures for `the various sight apertures.

A series of lamps in the form of electric bulbs 7 are 'attached-to a keeper bar 8, which bar is inserted within the tray upon the hollow bottom through the gate 2 and secured to said bottom by suitable retaining screws 9, the keeper bar being disposed longitudinally of the tray with the bulbs 7 so spaced that they are positioned between the bottle seats of the topA and rest within its uted concavities whereby said bulbs are protected.

Secured to the eiid walls of the tray are tiunnion blocks 9', the saine being preferably hollow for the purpose of admitting conductor wires 10 tor the supply of electric current to the series of lamp bulbs. There being no movement upon the axis, it is apparent that the wires so disposed will is provided By the above/l not be subjected to constant twisting strain. 11G

Locaties The tray trunnions are journaled apertured hubs il of brackets l2, webs ofthe same being adjustably secured to angle-iron struts 13, that, asshown, constiH tute members of the supporting frames oi" a soaher or washing machine as best shown in Fig. 5. The said gure illustrates the tray in connection with parallel endless conveyer chains l that are guided in the angleiron struts 13 and connected at regular interV vals by bottle racks B, the said racks being arranged to travel past the inner edge ot the tray which is adapted to he tilted and the bottles contained thereoh discharged by ravity into a rack that is so timed to be alined with the tray incidental to the tilting movement thereof,

The conveyor chains A are. arranged to travel over sprocket-wheels C that are mounted upon a. shaft D-whieh structure forms vno part of my invention and is that ordinarily employed in bottle washers or souliers.

The tray tilting` mechaijlism comprises e.. gravitycontrolled lever ll which is iulcrumed above the sprocket wheel C and is provided with an anti-friction roller iter engagement with a cam-wheel l5 that is mounted upon the conveyor shaft. The free end of this lever is connected to one end ot a rod 17, its opposite end being passed through an apertured ear 18 that projects from one end-wall of the tray. interposed between the projecting tray ear and an aljustable nut 19 carried `by the rod, is a coiled spring 20, the function oi which is to permit a yielding connection between said rod and tray, whereby overthrow of the cam actuating lever is provided 'for ineidental to limited downward movement of the tray, whereby the angle ot' discharge is lined. The angle of discharge ot the tray is limited b f an adjustable bolt 2l, which bolt is in t readed union with a stud 22 that extends from one of the braclrets, the bolt being adapted to engage the bottom tace of the tray when the latter is tilted to its discharging position.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that after a seriesot bottles have been properly located upon the tray and inspected and culled, the time-controlled tilting mechanism connected thereto will be actuated by the cam-wheel to cause av tilt of the tray, when one ol the racks C is in the proper position to receive the series of bottles, which are discharged therein., the tray being thereafter returned to its normal receiving angle preparatory to the distribution thereon oi another series et botin des 'for inspection, which series will be dis charged into the succeeding bottle washer rack, it being understood that the' travel ot the conveyor chain is at such speed as to permit ample time for inspection during the interval required for one rack to travel to the position of 'the succeeding racln l claim: v

l. ln a bottle washing machine having supporting struts, a shaft mounted thereon, sprocketovheels carried by the shaft, endless conveyor chains mounted upon, the sprocketwheels, and bottle rac-hs carried thereby; the combination a tilt-able hollow receiv ing tray, a transversely apertured top clof sure for said tray, illuminating i eans located 'under the tray top7 and tilting incohanism in connection with the tray under control et the washing machine.

2, A tray comprising a hollow body, ay

top therefor provided with a series of transversely disposed apertures constituting bot4v tle seats, illuminating means located within the tray body, supporting trunnions a ciated with the tray ends, and .means tilting the tray fr tray comprising a hollow body, a transversely lluted top therefor having apertures within, the tluted indentures to constitute hottie seats, and illuminating means located within the tray body.

Ll. l tray comprising a hollow body, a transversely lluted top therefor having apertures within the tinted indentures tb constitute bottle seats, illuminatingr means lo cated within the tray body, supporting trunnions for the tray, and tilting mechanism Jfor controlling the angular position oli said tray.

5, ln a bottle washing machine having supporting struts, a shatt mounted thereon, sprocket-wheels carried by theshatt, end less conveyer chains mounted upon the sprookehwheels, and bottle racks carried lll' thereby; the combination of a hollow re ceiving tray, ti'unnions extending trom the tray, means tor supporting the trunnions, a transversely apertured top closure Alor said tray, illuminating means located under the tray top, and"tilting mechanism in connection with the tray under control olft the washing machine.

ln testimony that l claim the foregoing" l have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee in the county ot Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in thepresence of two witnesses. EDWARD COURT 'ilit Ysses ki rino Beren, herr-inn Stratton. 

